Numerous types of containers are known and used for packaging various types of fruits and produce, as well as other goods, in both large and small quantities. Such containers have many configurations, features and advantages that favor their use in particular applications. Although anticipated to have utility in many diverse applications, the present invention is primarily directed to the provision of packaging for relatively small quantities of fruits, berries and produce as well as other items that may require special treatment during containment.
For example, table grapes are usually marketed attached to their vine stems and separated into bunches which may or may not be packaged. In either case, the bunches should ideally be rinsed with water to remove dust, dirt, bug and bird residue, as well as other potential contaminants that may originally reside on, or take up residence on the surfaces of the fruit during the time between picking and presentation to the consumer in a market. Moreover, the grapes must be cooled to discourage mold growth and untimely spoilage.
Other factors that must be considered relative to the segregation and packaging of the aforementioned types of products into suitable quantities include provision for reasonable consumer inspection of the packaged product, protection of the product against damage during stocking and consumer handling, ease of handling of the packaged product, and stack ability of the packages into larger containers, boxes, trays or on shelves which accommodate cooling, shipping, storage and display.
A wide variety of different types of containers are presently used in the relevant market and include wooden, plastic and cardboard baskets; buckets of various sizes, both with and without lids or other closures; “clam shell” boxes made of plastic, Styrofoam or paperboard; blister packs, etc. Many these types of containers are made from blanks die cut from sheet stock of one type or another and folded to form an open or closable basket. An example of such container is disclosed in the U.S. patent to Holmes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,265, wherein a die cut blank made of corrugated cardboard is folded along a plurality of fold lines, and extremities thereof are fastened together to form an open produce basket.
Another example of a container made by folding a die cut blank and used for storing and shipping fruits and other perishables is disclosed in Mittlestaedt et al, U.S. Pat. No. 7,628,312. The container disclosed in this patent is distinguished in one aspect from the Holmes container in that it also includes a closure component.
However, these containers as well as the previously mentioned plastic containers fail to address the problems of providing adequate product ventilation, drain ability of washing fluids or condensation, simplicity of assembly, low cost, shipping economy due to the use of collapsible and extremely light materials, and/or product visibility through the walls of the container.
It is therefore an objective of the present invention to provide an improved lightweight, relatively inexpensive and easily fabricated container suitably configured for use in the marketing of relatively small quantities of fruit and produce, and the like.
Another objective of the present invention to provide a container made from die cut blank that is folded along a plurality of predetermined fold lines defining wall segments and closures which are interlocked and/or fastened together to form an improved enclosure of the type described.
Still another objective of the present invention is to provide a container of the type described adapted to allow contained items to be washed and cooled in situ without having to open the container,
A further objective of the present invention to provide a container of the type described having an integrated handle for facilitating handling and carriage of the packaged goods.
Still another objective of the present invention to provide a container of the type described that is collapsible after fabrication so as to take up minimal space and thus reduce the cost of storage and shipping from manufacturer to packager.